STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. — With real food smoothies, fruit-infused water and homemade entrees, Yampa Valley Medical Center’s Nutrition Services strives to offer food that’s both flavorful and healthy.
“I love being a department that takes people by surprise,” said Melanie Stewart, director of nutrition services at YVMC. “We’re not the typical hospital food department.”
To continue to support healthy food choices, YVMC recently joined the Colorado Healthy Hospitals Compact.
“It’s going to help give us clear guidance on how we can continue to improve our food and beverage environment and get recognition for our efforts at the state level,” Stewart said. “It provides tools, resources and a peer network of other organizations on the same path.”
This year as part of the compact, YVMC will baseline four areas: healthier food, healthier beverages, marketing and breastfeeding policy and support. They also will ensure the majority of entrees served are nutrient-dense. Eventually, Stewart hopes YVMC can become a resource for other hospitals.
The focus on healthier food began two years ago when YVMC’s Healthy Culture Team identified nutrition as one of the top three areas that impacts employees. They crafted a nutrition philosophy with the goal of making “the healthy choice the easy choice,” Stewart said.
Every year, YVMC serves about 115,000 meals. Some employees eat two or three meals per day at the hospital. With long shifts in what can be stressful situations, the food that is served has a significant impact. It also is a critical part of patient care.
“Food truly is a major component in healing and wellness,” Stewart said. “What you put in your body really matters.”
Stewart and her team have focused on increasing the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables used in meals: Of the top 20 food items the hospital orders, 16 are produce. Natural meats are used when possible, and ingredients like MSG, trans-fats, artificial preservatives and food colorings are avoided.
Vegetarian and gluten-free options always are available, and deep-fried foods are off the menu after the fryer was removed last year. Plus, hot entrees are labeled with a stoplight system to make it easier to choose wisely: green for nutrient-dense, red for calorie-dense.